It’s A Match!

It’s hard to believe the future can fit inside a single envelope.

On Friday morning, 107 Texas Tech Health El Paso medical students held sealed envelopes that revealed where they will spend the next several years training as physicians.

At 10 a.m., the envelopes were ripped open simultaneously as cheers, laughter and tears filled the Medical Science Building II auditorium. Some students hugged family members and classmates, while others immediately called loved ones who could not attend.

For some graduates, the moment meant they would remain in El Paso to continue serving the community where they trained.

The class includes 13 students from El Paso and one from Las Cruces, New Mexico. Of those, one El Paso native and the Las Cruces student matched in El Paso.

Stephen Contreras, an El Paso native who was born and raised in the Lower Valley, said matching in his hometown made the moment even more meaningful.

“If I didn’t match here, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. I’m from here, I was born and raised in El Paso, and I’m never going to leave,” Contreras said. “I’m just so excited to continue serving my community.”

The Class of 2026 reflects the school’s mission to train physicians for the Borderplex and other border regions. Students in the class come from Eagle Pass, Del Rio, Laredo, McAllen, Brownsville and Las Cruces. These areas often lack access to physicians compared to the national average.

Across the nation and around the world, thousands of graduates participated in the annual National Resident Matching Program. On this day, future physicians are placed into residency programs where they will train for the next three to seven years.

A total of 16 Foster School of Medicine students matched into residency programs at Texas Tech Health El Paso. They will be joined by 106 incoming residents from other institutions, along with 16 fellows who will begin advanced training this summer.

At the same time, newly matched residents across the country learned they would join Texas Tech Health El Paso for residency training beginning this summer.

“Match Day represents the moment our students take the next step toward becoming the physicians our communities need,” said Eric M. Rohren, M.D., Ph.D., FACR, dean of the Foster School of Medicine. “We are incredibly proud of the Class of 2026 and the dedication they’ve shown throughout medical school. Whether they remain here in El Paso or train elsewhere across the country, they carry with them a commitment to compassionate care and improving the health of the communities they serve.”

It was Dr. Rohren’s first Match Day as dean of the Foster School of Medicine.

Addressing the Borderplex region’s physician shortage

According to national data, physician shortages remain especially acute along the U.S.–Mexico border. El Paso County currently has approximately one primary care physician for every 2,500 residents, underscoring the need to train and retain doctors locally.

The Foster School of Medicine was established to help address those disparities. Since its founding, the physician shortage in El Paso County has improved significantly, with each graduating class helping expand access to care in the region. Since opening in 2009, the institution has contributed to growing the number of physicians in our Borderplex from 1,034 to 1,792.

While many graduates will remain in El Paso, others will continue their training across Texas and the country.

For El Paso native Carolina Mendez, Match Day represents the culmination of a deeply personal journey to medicine. Inspired by her father’s battle with pancreatic cancer, Mendez pursued a path dedicated to caring for patients facing serious illness. She matched into emergency medicine at the University of Southern California, where she hopes to provide compassionate care to patients in their most critical moments.

In a moment reminiscent of the NFL Draft, Mendez donned a USC hat after opening her envelope.

“Becoming a physician has been a dream of mine since losing my father, and having the opportunity to save lives every day makes this work both incredibly meaningful and rewarding,” Mendez said.

For El Paso native Mason Bettes, the journey to becoming a physician has been shaped by personal experience. In 2019, he underwent a kidney transplant, a life-changing moment that influenced his decision to pursue medicine. He matched into internal medicine at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock.

“That experience inspired me to provide my patients with the same gift of healing I received. I will always remember the healing power of compassion and human connection in every patient’s life,” Bettes said.

Bettes said his experience as a patient has shaped how he will care for others.

He also said it has been an incredible privilege to return home to serve El Paso patients and train at such a phenomenal institution.

“El Pasoans are truly special, and I am encouraged to see Texas Tech Health El Paso delivering first-class medical care to our community,” he said.

Bettes said his family is also celebrating another milestone. His sister, Corbin, was recently accepted to the Foster School of Medicine and will begin classes this fall.

Bettes said that he has no doubt she will become “an exceptionally skilled and compassionate physician.”

How the Match works

The residency matching process begins each fall when medical students apply through the National Resident Matching Program. Students rank their preferred residency programs while hospitals and teaching institutions rank the candidates they interview.

A computer algorithm then matches applicants and programs based on their mutual preferences.

Texas Tech Health El Paso currently trains over 350 resident physicians in El Paso-area affiliated academic hospitals and clinics, including University Medical Center of El Paso, William Beaumont Army Medical Center and The Hospitals of Providence – Transmountain Campus.

Each July, the next phase of their medical training includes caring for patients while refining the clinical skills that will define their careers as physicians.

About Texas Tech Health El Paso

Texas Tech Health El Paso serves 108 counties in West Texas and is dedicated to preparing the next generation of health care heroes. Established as an independent university in 2013, Texas Tech Health El Paso is a uniquely innovative destination for medical, nursing, biomedical sciences and dental education.

Focusing on excellence in health care education, research, and clinical service, Texas Tech Health El Paso has graduated more than 2,600 professionals over the past decade. For more information, visit ttuhscepimpact.org.